Log buildings are in high demand due to their aesthetic appeal. These structures however can be expensive not only to construct but also to maintain and insure. Log structures are vulnerable to damage from exposure to water, temperature changes, insect infestation and fire damage. Log siding has always been a less expensive alternative for those seeking the log home look, but log sided structures are susceptible to many of the same effects as log structures. Cement siding (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,288,954 and 7,028,436 B2) and cement logs (U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,233 B2) have been produced to address some of these concerns. These alternatives however are not necessarily appropriate for a do-it-yourselfer (DIY) and often cannot be mass produced. O'Donnell, for example, describes a siding where several layers of cement plaster must be hand-applied to log shaped metal lath on the structure to be sided. The O'Donnell process requires various secondary materials and skilled, on-site, labor.
There remains a need for a simulated log siding that is inexpensive yet conveys a genuine wood log appeal. Ideally, the log-like siding would be resistant to environmental effects, DIY compatible and be fire resistant.
All patents, patent applications, provisional patent applications and publications referred to or cited herein, are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they are not inconsistent with the teachings of the specification.